Category: Operation Neptune

Memories taken from the collections of the Royal New Zealand Navy Museum.

In fact a well-illustrated and concise account of all the naval aspects of Operation Neptune, describing the planning, the various ship classes involved, a review of the naval action at each beach, and other activities such as the Mulberry Harbours. It suffers a little from over-compression.

Lectures on what it was like from the Staff College at Camberley, including a view by the Captain, Peter Dickens, from the bridge of Blencathra.

Some 50 American eyewitness accounts ranging from letters, diaries, and poems to later reminiscences.

Attempts to put into perspective the significant role of the maritime forces.

Another of the very detailed little books in this series. In this case, even Admiral Schofield’s skill cannot disguise the fact that the subject is really too large to be treated fully in so small a space. Nevertheless crammed with information. Reprinted by Pen & Sword in 2008.

A former AB on minesweepers and founder of the Algerines Association describes very fully the role of a neglected group of ships, the minesweepers. Well-illustrated and full of reminiscences.

A detailed listing of the ships used and their involvement follows a brief history and chronology of the operation. An excellent and essential reference tool.

EDWARDS, Kenneth. Operation Neptune. 319p., illus., index. London: Collins, 1946.

Excellent coverage of the naval side of Overlord. Also covers the clearing of the Channel ports and the Walcheren landings. A basic secondary source. A revised edition was published by Fonthill in 2012 as Operation Neptune: The Logistics and Support for the Normandy Landings (ISBN: 1781551278).     

WRAGG, David. Operation Neptune: The Prelude to D-Day. 256p., bibliog., illus., index. Stroud: History Press, 2014. ISBN: 0752489224.

A routine account of the naval operation.

WRAGG, David. Operation Neptune: The Prelude to D-Day. 256p., bibliog., illus., index. Stroud: History Press, 2014. ISBN: 0752489224.

A routine account of the naval operation.

HEWITT, Nick. Firing on Fortress Europe: HMS Belfast at D-Day. 176p., bibliog., illus., index. London: Imperial War Museum, 2015. ISBN: 9781904897576.

Based on first-hand accounts from the IWM archives this is the story of the landings as seen from the famous cruiser.

BENBOW, Tim. Operation Neptune: The D-Day Landings, 6 June 1944 (Naval Staff Histories of the Second World War, Volume 1), edited by Tim Benbow. 423p., bibliog., illus., index. Solihull: Helion, 2015. ISBN: 9781909982970

Originally published in 1948 by the Admiralty historical staff for internal use and covering the planning, preparation and execution of the landings, this edition has a new and strong introduction and a good bibliography and index, which make it very accessible. 

GRAINGER, John D. 13 Sharks: The Careers of a Series of Small Royal Navy Ships from the Glorious Revolution to D-Day. x, 233p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime, 2016. ISBN: 1473877245.

Brief biographies of each of the thirteen ships of name. the submarine Shark served in northern waters in 1939-40 and was sunk in June of that year in the Skaggerak. A destroyer of the name was launched in 1943. Renamed Svenner she was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy and sunk off the French coast during Operation Neptune.